Students using support services has surged, according to student leaders. (File photo) Photo: 123RF
Student leaders say the rising cost of living is reshaping university life - and for some, putting tertiary study out of reach altogether.
Campus groups said demand for hardship help was climbing as students struggled to cover rent, food and power while balancing study and work.
At the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association, president Aidan Donohue said usage of basic support services had surged over the past year.
"We're seeing students need support from other avenues to make up shortfalls in income," he said.
"Rent, power, groceries - things you can't choose not to buy - those are the key pressures."
The association's free community pantry ran out of funding before the end of last year after demand exceeded projections.
Donohue said international students were among those relying heavily on food parcels, alongside increasing use of free menstrual products and discounted rubbish bags.
"By far, cost of living is the biggest issue for students. It's ultimately what decides if someone goes to university at all - or whether they stay.
"When you compare studying with living costs and a part-time job, you're often worse off than working full-time on minimum wage."
At the Waikato Students' Union, president Seamus Lohrey, 22, said the financial strain had been consistent since the pandemic but remained acute.
"More and more students now need to get a job, but they're expected to be full-time students," he said.
"There's a difference between having enough money to live - and enough to actually achieve in your study."
Lohrey, a final-year law student, said many students were juggling study and work simply to survive.
Bond payments for flats were one of the biggest immediate costs, he said.
"A cheap bond would be $700 plus. For someone who's meant to be a full-time student, that's a lot of money."
While it was difficult to quantify because of confidentiality, Lohrey said the demand for food support on campus was also clear.
"There is an incredibly large need and desire for food, which is concerning.
"If you don't have the foundation there - food, warmth - you can't actually access those high-level needs."
Scott Tambisari, president of the Student Association Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, said demand and underlying need are growing locally.
"In 2025 we supported 421 students through hardship assistance. Of these, 134 students were referred to the local Foodbank that we partner with as they also needed support for their whānau. This is lower than our 2024 figures, where we supported 701 students through hardship, including 289 Foodbank referrals.
The reduction in help was not due to reduced need, but rather funding constraints, Tambisari said.
"We did not receive dedicated hardship funding in 2025 and instead relied on remaining funding and external grants to continue supporting students".
And for many students, the pressure is personal and immediate.
Christchurch nursing student Sarah Evans, 33, said her student allowance covers her bills "pretty much to the dollar", leaving only a small amount each week for food, fuel and other costs.
She could earn a limited amount before her allowance was reduced, leaving little incentive to work more hours.
"I've got about $4 left of my student allowance after bills," she said.
Evans said she had borrowed money from family to buy essential course equipment and sometimes struggled to afford groceries.
"Last week I didn't actually have enough money for food, so I had to borrow $50 just to buy basics like bread and pasta."
"You start to weigh it up and think it might actually be better to go back to work and earn a living. You want to follow a passion, but you still need to survive."
In Auckland, 22-year-old Trinity Alp said she moved from Whangārei to study but had struggled to find part-time work.
"I've applied for over 60 jobs. There's just not enough part-time work going around for students to survive."
With rent and bills to pay, she said food often became the last priority.
"Food comes last and that's horrible because it's one of the main things we need to survive," she said.
"Some weeks I've only got $50 to $80 left for food. You start thinking, should I just drop out?"
Tertiary Education Minister Shane Reti said the government recognised cost-of-living pressures on students.
He said most tuition costs were publicly funded, with student payments adjusted each year for inflation.
"The government also funds Student Job Search, which provides free support to assist tertiary students with finding employment," Reti said.
"Other government funded support includes training incentives to help sole parents, carers and disabled people access tertiary education, Working for Families Tax Credits to assist families with dependent children and accommodation support which is available to student allowances recipients who are living away from home."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Development said it had added staff and temporarily extended StudyLink call centre hours to manage demand.
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